Hearts of Legacy
by Himitsu-no-Paradise
Summary: Sometimes a legacy is hard to live up to...and sometimes it's hard to leave behind. But in the midst of chaos, sometimes legacy and a strong heart is all one has.


_**Hearts of Legacy**_

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

"_This system is a copy of one originally created by a corporation called ENCOM…"_

_ENCOM._

"_Ansem took ENCOM's original system and customized it…modified…"_

_Modified._

"_Because I want to help…my code commands me to do what is right…"_

_Tron._

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

_[Five Years Prior: Radiant Gardens (Just after Sora's return to Destiny Islands)]_

Squall Leonhart—who adamantly went by Leon nowadays—smiled a little as he entered Radiant Garden's central computer room. He placed his coffee down on a desk nearby and leaned his gunblade in a corner, before sitting in front of the main panel.

Once a week, he would check the town's security system as well as all the functions which kept the town running. Of course, he had help.

Moving his fingers as quick as lightning over the keys, he typed: **Good morning, Tron**.

Tron had been helping Leon ever since Sora's depature. They were always completely engrossed in conversation about how to improve the system, causing a friendly interaction between the two—as friendly as Leon was or could be in any case—and Tron made sure all the firewalls were up to date as well as modifying them when he felt it necessary.

So when he didn't answer Leon, the gunblader found it very unlike Tron.

In fact, it was downright abnormal.

Furrowing his brow, he placed his fingers to the keys again and typed, **Tron? **

Again, no answer.

**Tron? **_**Tron**_**?**

It was then that he received an answer. An _ominous_ answer.

**Tron is no longer with you.**

Leon's eyes widened.

**Who is this!**

**I'll give you a…Clu.**

Just as Leon was about to respond, the town's alarm system began to blare loudly. Jumping up from his seat, he grabbed his gunblade and rushed out.

He hadn't even realized he'd knocked his coffee to the ground, where he left a puddle of black and shattered glass.

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

_[Two years later: Disney Castle]_

"I'm sorry, Leon, it isn't possible," King Mickey said to the magicked image of Leon floating just in front of him in the throne room. Mickey was pacing back and forth in front of his throne, his arms tucked behind him, his brow furrowed and his ears and tail twitching nervously.

"Your majesty, Radiant Garden is under attack from the inside out. For the last two years, any and everything electronic has begun malfunctioning. Surely, it has to be grounds for—"

"_No_! I can't send him into battle for every little problem. It's a computer glitch, Leon," Mickey replied. "Do like you did with the MCP. Get Cid to make some sort of eradication program. "

"We can't, your highness, we don't even know what has been causing the glitches. The only lead we have is the word 'Clu'. Besides, Cid's computer has been on the fritz just like everything else. The only computer not malfunctioning is Ansem's but whatever is inside of it has locked it. _Locked_. That's why I thought—"

"I'm sorry, Leon. I understand the strain it must be putting on the town. The setbacks it must be causing. But I can't send _him_ in unless it's Heartless or Nobody related. I can't put him in danger like that for something like this. I'm sorry."

Queen Minnie frowned from her spot on her throne and then stood up. She placed her four-fingered hand on her husband's arm. "It's alright, dear. We understand."

Mickey looked at her.

She smiled, understanding in her eyes, and murmured, "You don't want to destroy the happiness he's gained. After all, Sora's finally home."

ENCOMENECOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

_[Three Years Later - Present Day: Destiny Islands]_

"Throw it, Sora! Throw it!"

Sora smiled at Selphie and tossed a ball at her, watching her swing with her bat and miss. He laughed.

He was happy. He was home and he was with his friends, away from danger and pain and worry. For five years, it'd been like this.

Peaceful.

Even the King's note had just been wishing him well now that he was finally home.

He was twenty now, and a little taller though his hair was the same spiky brown and his eyes the same glowing blue. Dressed in casual clothes, which he wore often now that he didn't have to wear the heavy accessories and magicked garments, he played baseball with his friends.

Things were good.

"It's my turn to bat!" called Riku, smirking as he sauntered toward the group, all of twenty-one and broad-shouldered. His long white hair was pulled into a ponytail and he was wearing a pair of swim trunks low on his hips. He was dripping, signaling that he had just been in the water, probably cooling off since it was a hot day, and now he was plucking the bat from Selphie's fingers and looking at his brown haired friend with green eyes twinkling with competition.

"Throw it, Sora," he said, smirking at him.

"You asked for it, Riku!" Sora said and then lobbed the ball as hard as he could.

"_Ha_!" Riku called as a loud _CLACK_ rang through the air, the bat connecting with the ball and sending it soaring over the tall palm trees of the island. He laughed at Sora's yelling and pointing. The younger may have saved the worlds but some things never changed.

"Sorry, Sora," he said, chuckling and then looked up at Kairi's sweet voice just up the beach. She was coming toward them with a picnic basket slung over her shoulder, smiling as her blue eyes twinkled at them and her long deep red hair swung behind her and blew lightly in the island breeze.

"Alright, Kairi brought us lunch!" Tidus called from his spot at first base and ran to her. Suddenly, she was swarmed by all of her friends, laughing and digging into the basket. After everyone had finished swarming, she, Riku and Sora sat atop their palm tree, sipping juice boxes and looking out at the blue water.

Sora smiled. "…this is the life, y'know? No problems, no battles, no fear. Never thought I'd have this feeling again."

"I know what you mean," Riku murmured. "The darkness is a powerful thing. But the light—"

"Was stronger!" Kairi finished for him, smiling. They tapped their juice boxes together in cheers and then sucked the rest down, laughing together.

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

Sam Flynn had had a lot of disappointment in his life. Since a young age, he'd been trying to figure out what he'd done wrong, what had _caused_ his life to make such a drastic turn.

And every backwards route he took led him back to the same conclusion: his father's disappearance.

Once upon a time, he'd wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. He had wanted to take over ENCOM and turn it into something special. He'd even started going to Cal Tech, his father's alma mater, but the more he tried to live up to a ghost, the less motivated he felt to try.

Finally, he stopped altogether. Stopped caring about those dreams and stopped caring about his dad—or so he told himself. However, once a year, his true feelings emerged in the shape of a practical joke on ENCOM's heartless board of directors. This year, he had released the free processing system out to the public, when the board had tried to make it a paid service.

All in all, he felt pretty proud of himself. Of course, it didn't help his adrenaline induced high that his father's old friend, Alan, was standing in his living room/garage, wondering aloud why Sam didn't just take his rightful place at ENCOM.

Finally, Sam became fed up with Alan's persistence, and he rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Alan?"

"I got a page last night. From your father's office at the arcade."

Sam laughed a little bitterly. "Wow, Alan, still rockin' the pager?"

Alan chuckled, though it had a tint of sadness in it as he looked at the device. "Your father used to tell me I practically had to sleep with this thing." Then he looked back up at Sam. "But about the page from his office—"

"What do you want me to say, Alan? It's like you expect me to go over there and find him sitting behind his desk, working. 'Hey kiddo, lost track of time'."

Alan chuckled again. "…wouldn't that be something." With that, he left, shaking his head.

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

…_Kingdom Hearts…is light…!_

…_Kairi…!_

…_Riku…!_

…_**Tron**__…!_

Sora jerked awake, gasping and looking around, his heart pounding in his chest. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and shivered, standing up. It was a stormy night and those always brought him nightmares. The wind reminded him too much of _that_ night. The night his entire life had changed.

But this was the first time he'd dreamed of Tron. It was odd, really, because he never realized how close he'd gotten to the occupants of each world he'd visited until after he'd already left. Having had the nightmare, he realized how much he missed Tron and the incredible world he lived in.

Kairi had told him never to brush his dreams aside. That the burden he had on his shoulders was too important to ignore a nightmare as simply a nightmare. But Sora hated to think that his dreams might mean more than simply a haunting image in his head. He was _done_ being the Keyblader.

But deep in his heart, he knew that was false. He'd _never_ be done being the Keyblader.

Sighing, he ruffled his own messy hair and pulled a shirt on, before going across the way to Kairi's. He chucked rocks at her window and smiled when a head full of red tendrils popped out.

"Sora, what are you doing? It's pouring rain!" she said.

"Come down!"

"Are you crazy?"

"Please?"

Kairi sighed. "I'll be right down."

The two of them made their way down to the beach and huddled under a palm tree together. He looked at her and smiled, nervously, causing Kairi to frown and place her hand over his. "What's wrong, Sora?"

Her hand in his was warm and he squeezed it. He looked up into her eyes and blushed. "Kairi, I had a nightmare."

She frowned deeper and squeezed his hand tighter, as the waves crashed on the beach and the rain came down around them. "I'm sorry."

Seeing the worry and thoughtfulness in Sora's eyes, she pulled him into a hug, and rubbed his back. Sora inhaled her scent and sighed.

Just after he'd returned to the islands with his friends, he and Kairi had decided to give a relationship a chance, and for about two years, they had made it work. But as each day passed, both of them realized a little more every day that what they had for each other really was more love for a sibling than love for a significant other.

And Sora had always sort of felt that Kairi had feelings for someone else. For a long time, he thought it was Riku. But one day, when he asked her about it, she had told him that she and Riku had realized and agreed before even she and Sora had dated that they weren't right for each other.

So the three of them were now just as they had been in the beginning: best friends and nothing more.

Still, it was easier to come to Kairi with worries such as nightmares. Riku was, after all, Riku and he would've told Sora the exact opposite of what Kairi tried to convince Sora of: that it was just a dream. It didn't mean Riku didn't care, it was just that Riku wanted to forget the events the Keyblade and the Heartless had brought upon them even more than Sora did.

So, he went to Kairi and she was usually able to calm him down a little. She had that way about her. Like right now, her arms around him were helping.

Suddenly, he heard her voice in his ear, breaking him from his thoughts.

He blinked and looked at her a little. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'what was it about'?"

"Oh," Sora murmured and blushed at his own absentmindedness. He took a deep breath and then replied, "I dreamed of Tron."

"Tron?"

"He was my friend…when I was traveling, you know," he said, glancing off to the side. "I met him inside a computer."

"Inside a computer? How'd you do that?"

"There was this machine. It turned me and Donald and Goofy into like…computer programs or something…Tron helped us save Radiant Garden by fixing the security system from the inside. Now he protects the town with Leon or so I figure…I wouldn't really know…"

Kairi frowned. "You didn't know him long?"

"No…I guess not."

"So why dream of him?"

"I don't know, really…" Sora said and then smiled at her. "Thanks for coming out here with me."

"Anytime, Sora," Kairi replied, smiling. With a hug, he helped her up. Just as they were about to return to the village, something whizzed by overhead. Sora looked up, his eyes widening. The shape and speed of it reminded him of…

"We have to go," Sora said, taking her hand and rushing back toward the village. Sprinting with all the speed in his body, he pulled Kairi back toward the village, rain pounding down on them. Instead of going back to their homes, he rushed past their small houses, to the town square, where he saw exactly what he feared.

A gummi ship.

It had landed right in the middle of the square and Sora fisted his hands as he looked up at it. Then he glanced at Kairi, who was frowning deeply.

"Should I go get Ri—" she started, but umbrellas already started to crowd around it and suddenly, the rain wasn't hitting them anymore as Riku approached, his umbrella covering them.

"A gummi ship?" he said and Sora nodded, his eyes hard.

The hatch began to open. Sora expected to see Donald and Goofy. Instead, shock enveloped him. There, standing at the top of the ramp, was King Mickey himself. He looked apologetic as he gazed down at Sora and then made his way down the ramp, uncaring that he was getting bombarded by rivulets of moisture.

"Sora," he said to the twenty year old. "I'm sorry."

"Something's happened," Sora replied and Mickey nodded.

"It's Tron, Sora," Mickey said.

Sora's eyes widened and Kairi gasped, suddenly wishing she hadn't been right about Sora's dreams.

Mickey felt regret beyond his wildest imagination at having to pull Sora back into this crazy life but, he had no choice.

With a heavy heart, he murmured, "…he's gone."

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

"…magnificent," murmured a voice from the across a dark room, lit only with ribbons of yellow. The voice's carrier was circling a still figure standing atop a pedestal in the middle of the room.

"Isn't she, sir?" another voice responded. "A beauty to behold and apparently in possession of some special modifications."

The owner of the first voice looked at the current speaker. "…did we make these modifications ourselves?"

"Well…no, sir. When we rezzed her out of the information we found, they seemed to be created along with her."

The first voice's owner circled the body in the middle of the room again and then called in one of his cronies. He looked at the girl in the center of the room.

"Let me see these modifications in action, then. What can you do?"

Finally moving from her spot, the girl moved toward the minion and then held up her hand. With a mix of scientific precision and a strange sort of magic, she drew the shape and intricacies of the program's identity disc in the air before using both hands to grasp the glowing copy. Suddenly, her eyes glowed and the copy shattered in her hands, causing the disc on the program's back to derezz.

The program's eyes became vacant, all of its information suddenly drained from its coding—all of its memories and functions wiped clean.

An eyebrow raised and the first voice murmured in a smirking tone, "Very interesting. Very, _very _interesting."

A soft cackle filled the room as the girl stood there, silently.

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

Kairi placed a cup of tea in front of King Mickey and sat down between Riku and Sora on Sora's couch across from a chair that King Mickey was in.

The mouse king took a sip of his tea and looked at Sora.

Sora stared back, his eyes narrowed a little before he set his own tea down on the table and murmured, "When did Tron disappear?"

Mickey sighed and took another sip of his tea before he murmured, "He's actually been gone for about five years now."

"_What_! Why wasn't I notified? Why didn't you call me in sooner?" Sora was up out of his seat now, and had knocked his tea over in his frantic movement.

"Sora," Kairi said, softly, worriedly, before leaving the room to get a towel.

Mickey sighed again and shook his head. "I couldn't get you involved, Sora."

"Why _not_?"

"Because the Keyblade is only to be used in situations involving the Heartless and all things related to them. Tron is not a Heartless and as far as Leon could tell, neither was the thing that caused his disappearance."

Sora growled and flopped back down in his seat, anger and confusion boiling up in his blood. His friends were in danger, and possibly in pain, and he couldn't get _involved_ because there were no _Heartless_? How stupid!

Then Sora realized something and opened his mouth to voice his question, but Riku got to it first.

"So then, your majesty, why have you come to Sora now?" he murmured, calmly.

There was a long silence between them and then Mickey stood, going to the window and looking out at the rain coming down hard and splattering the window with moisture. "Whatever caused Tron's disappearance seems to have found Ansem's files on the Heartless. Leon believes its going to use them to create Heartless within the system."

"So, why not go in there and stop them before they can?" Sora asked.

"Two reasons: The first is that we don't know if the threat has already begun making Heartless and no one but those who wield Keyblades have the capability to truly and completely destroy a Heartless. But the main reason is that almost as soon as Tron disappeared, all of the electronics in town began to shut down and malfunction…"

He massaged his forehead with his hand in exasperation and then turned away from the window and back to them. "Except Radiant Garden's main terminal."

"So?" Sora continued. "That's the one with the machine to enter the Grid. What's the problem?"

"The main terminal has been locked from the inside. It needs to be _unlocked_."

"That's nice but I'm not a computer genius! What makes you think _I _can unlock it?" Sora replied.

Mickey laughed a little. "Have you really been away from the fight for that long, Sora? Do you not remember what the Keyblade is capable of? It can unlock _anything_."

Sora glanced off to the side, his hands fisting again. He wanted to say no. But knowing that Leon could be in dire straits and thinking about his own reaction to Tron's long-standing disappearance, he knew he wouldn't. His friends needed him.

"You're going to go, aren't you?" From the entrance to the kitchen, Kairi stood and spoke these words, a towel grasped tightly in her hands, her knuckles white from how hard she gripped it.

Sora sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't have a choice, Kairi. This is my job and as much as I sometimes wish I could just give it to someone else, I can't. And I don't want to. Not because I _love_ putting myself in danger but because the people I met along the way…well, they're my friends. I have to help them. I'm their only hope. I'm…I'm _Tron_'s only hope."

Riku stood and held out his hand. In a flash, Way to Dawn appeared and he grasped it tightly in his fingers. He looked at Sora. "Then I'm coming with you."

Kairi lifted her own hand, looking down at her palm just as Destiny's Embrace manifested in her hand. She closed her eyes. "I'm coming, too. I can fight, Sora, beside you!"

Sora looked at Kairi and Riku. His closest friends. He knew bringing them would put them in grave danger. But he also knew _them_. And they wouldn't change their minds.

Finally, he held out his own hand as the Kingdom Key emerged from out of no where. He looked at it. In his hands, it was more than the master key of the worlds. In his hands, it was a weapon to protect the hearts of those who _lived_ in those worlds.

His friends.

Looking back up at Kairi and Riku, he nodded. "Alright. We're in this together, then."

"Together," Riku murmured.

"Together," Kairi echoed as well.

Mickey watched them. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea but he knew Sora and Riku well enough to know that when their minds were made up, it was hard to change them. And if Kairi was anything like them, he was sure she'd be just as hard to convince.

So with a sigh and a small smile, he murmured, "This isn't going to be some cake walk. But at least this time, you three will get to fight together. I hope you're ready for this."

The trio hoped they were ready, too.

ENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOMENCOM

_**AN: Okay, first chapter done. A few things. **_

_**One! I do not own anything. Disney (and Squeenix) own everything. **_

_**Second! I have only seen bits and pieces of the first Tron movie. So…I mean, most of this will probably be based heavily on the new Tron movie 'cause I've seen that and I sort of know where the idea is going in my head. But even still, if I get anything wrong that has to do with the first movie, please don't be to hard on me. I WANT to see the first movie, I just haven't gotten a chance to yet. SO…yeah. That's it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! More to come!**_


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